A Day In The Life Of Hikari
by Kyandi-Akatensei
Summary: A mini spin-off series for Flip Side. Gives you a look at a younger Hikari when she first came back to Japan and how she met some of her friends and how she came to date and break up with Tachibana. Rated T
1. Coming Home Again

_**Summary:**_ A mini spin-off series for Flip Side. Gives you a look at a younger Hikari when she first came back to Japan and how she met some of her friends and how she came to date and break up with Tachibana.

Kyandi: Hey everyone, its Kyandi-sama! I'm waiting for a new chapter of New Prince of Tennis to come out.

Hikari: While we're waiting we're going to do a mini series for you.

Kyandi: Don't know how long the series will last but it'll give you something to read while we're waiting.

Hikari: For those of you who are new to us, this story takes place before the start of Flip Side, so reading this first shouldn't really mess you up.

Kyandi: So enjoy and review.

Hikari: Kyandi-sama doesn't know Prince of Tennis.

Chapter 1 Coming Home Again

The day was hot and still young, but the airport was full to the brim with travelers of all types and sizes. It was easy to lose a person in the crowd of people that pushed and shoved others to reach where they were going. Well…maybe not so easy. Not easy when it came to one certain little girl.

"Hikari, there you are!" A young ten year old girl looked up from where she stood on the brim of a water fountain, hand shading her eyes. The only thing that told anyone that the little girl was indeed a little girl, was the tiny beginnings of a figure and the white dress she had been made to wear.

The dress matched the girl's short, chin length hair in color. The hair was cut short and layered with a short rat tail tied at the nape of her neck. The little girl was very pretty with big, silver, doe eyed, eyes ringed by white lashes, lightly tanned skin, and a small thin body. What caught attention aside from her hair and eye color, was the bandages that wrapped up her left arm and leg.

A smile curved the girl's mouth as she looked at a young teenaged boy who worked his way towards her. He was dragging two big bags after him and was dodging larger adults to reach her at the fountain. The boy was fourteen, tall, had a mass of curly white hair on his head, and eyes only a shade or two darker then the girl's.

He matched the girl in good looks but was far bigger with more muscle on his frame. He used this muscle to get himself through the crowd. "Hikari get down from there. If you fall and break anything I'm going to be so furious with you." he told the girl when he finally reached her pointing to the ground beside him.

The little girl hopped down and smiled brightly at taller boy. Higarashi Hikari, age ten, was Japanese by birth but had spent most of her life in Russia. The boy beside her was the youngest of her brothers, Haruhi.

After the death of her twin brother Hikaru, two years before and her mother three years before that, her father had decided it was time to send Hikari back to the her homeland. And there she stood in an airport in Japan.

"Haruhi did you know that Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands, the four largest of which are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which together comprise about ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area?" Hikari asked her brother as he slumped down onto a bench and wiped sweat from his forehead.

"You don't say." he said idly as his sister looked around at the people around them. "And archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the first century A.D." Hikari added excitedly.

Haruhi looked up at his sister. "Hikari, this isn't the first time you've lived in Japan. Calm down and cut back on the random facts." he told her with a smile. Hikari looked at her brother and stuck her tongue out at him. "Very mature." he told her. "I'm ten. I don't have to be mature." Hikari replied as she looked around again.

Haruhi shook his head at his sisters back and made a face. Hikari turned back and Haruhi instantly looked away pretending like he hadn't just been making faces at her. Hikari raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you call Suou?" Hikari asked.

"Of course. He'll be here soon." he said. "Then lets go!" Hikari said taking off into the crowd. "Hikari!" Haruhi called after her but the little girl was gone. Haruhi heaved a sigh before grabbing the bags and heading after her.

He finally caught up to her as she pushed her way out of the doors and outside. "Look, Haruhi-nii!" she said pointing to the city before them. Haruhi dropped the bags and leaned back on one. "You're excitable today." Haruhi remarked.

"How could I not be!? I haven't been in Japan since Mother died." Hikari said, the mention of her mother's death making her smile falter. Haruhi looked at his sister. "You know we're not going to be living in our old house, right? The foudation and walls are falling apart." Haruhi told her.

"I know. Who bough the new house?" Hikari asked turning to look at her brother. "Sosuke-nii and Father." Haruhi replied. Hikari groaned. "That means its going to be flashy and huge and scream money!" she complained making Haruhi grin.

"You are the only girl I know who complains about that stuff. Many are happy if their rich and can have whatever they want." he told her. Hikari made a face and stuck her tongue out at him. "I hate being rich and you know it, Haruhi-nii." she replied.

Before Haruhi could reply there was a yell from the sidewalk. "Miss Hikari! Master Haruhi!" The siblings turned to see a man waiting at a the curb by a car. He was an older man with gray peppered brown hair, soft brown eyes, and a kind face.

"Suou!" the siblings coursed. The man smiled at them as they grabbed their bags and headed for him. "My look how big you two have gotten. I have not seen you in ages!" Suou said, greeting the two and taking their bags from them.

"How is your father?" he asked as he put the bags in the trunk. "His heart problems have gotten better but…" Haruhi looked at Hikari who caught the look. "What?" she asked. Haruhi shook his head. "He worries since she's going to be here in Japan and he's not suppose to fly or travel a great deal." Haruhi said nodding towards Hikari who made a face.

"I'll be fine. Besides, I'll have Suou, right?" Hikari said looking at the older man who pat her head. "Right, Miss. And you're training? How is that?" Suou asked Hikari. Hikari's face lit up.

"Great! I won another tournament in Russia before coming here." Hikari said as she climbed into the back seat with Haruhi as Suou slid in behind the wheel. Suou looked at Hikari in the rear view mirror. "No relapses?" he asked.

Hikari looked at her left hand. "None. Then again I don't play with my left hand anymore." Hikari remarked in a low voice. Haruhi looked at his sister before leaning forward. "Hey Suou can we have a Japanese meal for dinner tonight?" Haruhi asked.

Hikari perked up. "I want to help!" she exclaimed. Suou chuckled. "Of course, of course!" Suou told them. Haruhi and Hikari gave Suou similar smiles in the rear view mirror. Sometimes it was impossible not to notice that they were siblings.

-0-0-0-0-

"You have to leave already?" Hikari stared at Haruhi across the table. Haruhi gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Hikari. I came with you on borrowed time as it was. I have to get back to my studies and I have a tournament in two days." Haruhi told her.

Hikari's eyes dropped to her plate. For a moment Haruhi thought she was going to be upset. Since the death of her twin, two years before, Hikari had been a bit fickle about being alone. At sometimes she didn't want to be alone.

At others, she'd rather be alone. This might be one of those times when she didn't want to be alone. Especially not in the large mansion type house that their father and oldest brother had bought. Then she looked up and smiled.

"Well then best of luck! I have some research I want to start doing anyway." Hikari told him happily as she went back to eating, picking through her food with the chopsticks that she was holding.

"What kind of research?" Haruhi asked. "I'm going to start looking at some of the local tennis teams. I want to get a look at the tennis players in my age bracket around here." she told him. That sounded like Hikari alright.

"So you're going to go sneaking around schools?" Haruhi asked. A grin curved Hikari's lips. "I'm very good at sneaking around Haruhi-nii. You know that." she told him, brightly. Haruhi shook his head. "Don't do anything to get in trouble, Hikari. Sosuke-nii would be furious is he had to fly all the way here to get you out of trouble." Haruhi told her.

"I won't get in trouble. If I don't want to be seen, then I won't be seen. Tomorrow though I might just check out the local tennis park." Hikari said. Haruhi nodded. "Don't over do the training. I understand you're feeling a lot better since the last surgery but you don't need to over do it." Haruhi told her.

Hikari smiled at her brother. She knew they all worried about her but she knew her limit and didn't plan to push it and ruin all the hard work she had gone through in the last two years. No point in over doing it. "I'll be fine. All of you worry too much. I'm really just going go there to check out local players." she told her brother.

Haruhi looked at his sister. "Alright then. Sosuke-nii is going to fly in, in a few days. He said that Father was talking about opening a Tokyo branch of the companies and he wants Sosuke to over see it." Haruhi said.

"Which means Sosuke-nii will be spending most of his time in Japan for now one, right?" Hikari asked. "Not just yet. While the branch is getting up and running Sosuke-nii is only going to supervise and check in. He's still helping with the French branch." Haruhi told her. Hikari shook her head.

"Father is going to over work poor, Sosuke-nii." Hikari remarked. Haruhi smiled. "I don't think Sosuke-nii is too worried about that. He can take more then you think." he told her. "Oh I don't doubt that." Hikari said as she got to her feet, taking her plate to the sink.

"As long as Hisoka-nii doesn't tag along. He always seems to cause trouble no matter where he goes." Hikari said shaking her head making Haruhi chuckle. "He can't help his childish nature, Hikari. You know that." Haruhi said. Hikari made a face. "If you say so, Haruhi-nii. If you say so." she replied.

END

Kyandi: Well here's the first chapter!

Hikari: We're working on the next.

Kyandi: Younger Hikari is more….immature.

Hikari: I was a child then.

Kyandi: You're a child now.

Hikari: Watch it.

Kyandi: Anyway….everyone enjoy and review.

Hikari: We'll be back soon.

Kyandi: Bye!


	2. Two of a Kind

Kyandi: Hey everyone, we're back!

Hikari: Even though it's still to early to be up.

Kyandi: It's almost ten a.m.

Hikari: Just because I'm up early in the stories doesn't mean I like it.

Kyandi: Yeah, yeah. Anyway we have a new chapter for you.

Hikari: We're updating as many stories as Kyandi-sama's muse will allow.

Kyandi: We'll be stretching her thin, but I think we can get a few updates in.

Hikari: Right. So we bring you the next chapter of this story!

Kyandi: Please enjoy and review.

Hikari: Kyandi-sama does not own Prince of Tennis.

Chapter 2 Two of a Kind

"No, the grip is like this." Hikari stood behind a small five year old girl and corrected her grip on a tennis racket. Hikari, as she had told Haruhi, had come to check out the local tennis courts. When she arrived she found a couple of five and six year old trying to practice serving right.

Hikari couldn't help but come to their aid and show them. In the course of two hours each of them had improved greatly. Where they couldn't get the ball half way down court to begin with, they were now hitting it over the net.

Though their control and power still needed work. Then again they were five and six year olds. She didn't expect their control to be that refined. "Yes just like that!" Hikari cheered when the little girl, Mefumi, finally got it right and served the ball over the net.

"I did it!" Mefumi cheered, her friends cheering for her. Hikari clapped for the little girl. "Good job, Mefumi-chan." Hikari told the girl.

"Thanks, onee-chan!" the little kids told her. "No problem." Hikari told the others. "Just keep working on it and you'll get better." she told them. Snickering from nearby made Hikari and the younger children turn.

A couple of older boys were standing around a young boy with brown hair, snickering at him. "Where your big brother now?" one asked. "Yeah. Where's the genius?" another laughed. The boy grit his teeth and glared at them.

"Jeez, why do you even come out here? You're never going to be as good as your brother." one boy said making the brunette even angrier. Hikari turned to Mefumi. "Who is that?" Hikari asked. "That's Yuuta-onii-chan." Mefumi said.

"His onii-chan is a really good tennis player. Everyone calls him a genius." a little boy piped in. Hikari grimaced. "Yuuta-onii-chan doesn't like it when other compare him to Shusuke-onii-chan." another little girl added.

Hikari looked toward the boy, Yuuta, and the others. "I know the feeling." Hikari remarked. Hikari watched the group for a moment before turning and headed towards the group. "Why can't you be as good as your brother, huh little Yuuta?" one boy sneered.

"Yeah, why can't you be your brother?" another asked. "Because he's not his brother. He's himself." Hikari said drawing attention to her. Yuuta's eyes landed on the small white haired girl glaring at the older boys with a group of younger children behind her, all holding rackets.

"No one asked you, brat." one boy said looking at her. Hikari snorted. "No one needs to. Even an idiot would know he's not his brother. He's his own person and you're just being idiotic insisting he needs to be his brother." Hikari replied. "What was that!?" the boys glared at her as Yuuta stared at her in surprise.

"How would you know!? Have you seen his brother and him play?" one boy asked. "I don't need to. Whether their skill level is different or not doesn't mean anything. My skill level isn't the same as any my brothers and I have seven." Hikari replied.

The boys blinked at her. "Isn't that a little girl's way of saying she sucks?" one boy joked. Hikari turned and took her racket from Mefumi. "Want to find out?" Hikari asked with a smile as she held up her racket.

The whole racket from the frame to the grip to the strings, was solid black. The only thing not black on the racket, was the 'S' on the handle. The boys laughed at her. "What do you have to lose?" Hikari asked. The boys looked at each other before accepting the challenge with grins. Apparently they believed they could win. Maybe they could and maybe they couldn't.

-0-0-0-0-

"Bye! Thanks for the lessons!" Hikari waved to the group of boys as they took off, mumbling to themselves. The result from each match had been the same. She had won. Some were closer to others, but she had won none the less.

"Yhay! Way to go onee-chan!" the little kids cheered from where they sat off to the side of the court with Yuuta standing next to them. Hikari turned to them and smiled. The children rushed to her and gushed, excited that she had won.

"You little ones should get home." Hikari told them ushering them off. "Bye, onee-chan!" the children called over their shoulders. Hikari waved to them before turning to find Yuuta watching her. Hikari gave him a smile.

"Did you mean what you said?" he asked. Hikari blinked in confusion. "You mean about you not being your brother? Yes I did." she told him. Yuuta raised an eyebrow at her. "You're a first. Why?" he asked.

Hikari rubbed her neck. "I know how it feels. To be compared to a sibling." she replied. "I had a twin brother who died recently. Everyone thought he was the better out of the two of us and really….he kind of was." she added.

Yuuta's expression changed. "Sorry." he mumbled. Hikari shook her head. "Its alright. But the thing is I know how it feels. And the truth is you really aren't your brother." she told him smiling brightly at him. Yuuta blushed and scratched a cheek.

"Anyway, I'm Higarashi Hikari." she said holding out her hand to Yuuta. Yuuta stared at her for a moment before taking her hand. "Fuji Y-" Hikari cut him off. "Fuji Yuuta. Yeah I know." she said with a big smile. "The little ones told me." she added when she saw his confused look. Yuuta raised an eyebrow. "You know you can't really call them little ones, when you're only ten." he replied.

Hikari grinned. "I'm an old soul." she replied. Silence fell between the two as Hikari gathered her bag, Yuuta watching her. "Thanks." Hikari looked up at Yuuta when he spoke. "For what?" she asked. Yuuta rubbed the back of her neck.

"You know….for saying what you did about my brother and me." he replied. Hikari blinked up at him. "Look, I know how it feels and I know now much it sucks. If two people who have had the same experience can't come to the aid of the other, then what is the world coming to. That's how I see it." Hikari remarked as she got to her feet.

"So again I ask, for what?" she added. Yuuta stared at her before a smile curved his lips. "Yeah I suppose your right." he remarked. This put a smile on Hikari's face. "Do you have a cell phone?" she asked. Yuuta dug a phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah, why?" he asked. Hikari took the phone as she pulled out her own. She clicked a few things into the phones before returning his. "There. If you need someone to talk to, no matter what it is, just give me a call." Hikari told him with a smile.

Yuuta looked down at the phone and then back up at her. She was a bit odd and completely straight forward but she was nice and really did seem to understand what it was like to be compared to a brother. "Yeah. Alright." he agreed.

Hikari grinned. "Now that that's out of the way….." Hikari held up her racket with a smiled. "How about a match?" she asked. Yuuta couldn't help a chuckle at that. "Alright." he agreed. Hikari smiled brightly at him. It looked like she had found her first friend.

-0-0-0-0-

"I'm home!" Hikari called as she closed the front door behind her. Suou stuck his head out of the kitchen. "Oh! Hello Miss Hikari. Did you have fun?" he asked. Hikari smiled brightly. "I sure did. I made a new friend today." Hikari said as she propped her tennis bag against the wall.

"Oh? Did you meet him at the tennis park?" Suou asked as he watched his charge. "I did. I was helping a few younger children with their serves when I saw him. He's really nice. Kind of shy though." Hikari told him as she walked into the kitchen, Suou following.

"Well that's wonderful, Miss Hikari. I'm glad you had fun and made a new friend." Suou told her as he went back to washing dishes, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows.

"He's a year older then me and is thinking about going to Mother's old middle school when he gets in middle school." Hikari told Suou as she picked up a towel to help by drying dishes. Suou looked down at her as he handed her a plate. "Seigaku?" he asked. Hikari nodded.

"Well it is a very good school." he remarked. Hikari didn't say anything to that comment. Suou looked down at her before quickly changing the subject. "Miss Candyce called while you were out." he remarked. "Oh shoot! I forgot to give her the number to the cell phone, Father got me." Hikari said.

Suou chuckled. "Miss Hikari, little ladies don't say, oh shoot." he told her, handing her another plate. Hikari gave him a sheepish smile. "I may be a little lady, Suou, but I'm not lady like." she replied. Suou shook his head.

"Perhaps, then, you should spend the day tomorrow learning proper conduct for a young lady from my sister." he said raising an eyebrow. Hikari's eyes went wide. "No more "Oh shoot"s I promise!" she told him quickly making him chuckle again.

"What did Candyce want?" Hikari asked. "She was calling to tell you that Miss Tatlyn lost to her brother again and that the two Miss Duffmeyer, won their tournament." Suou told her.

Hikari nodded. "She always wants you back in America this summer so she can check your progress." he added. Hikari heaved a sigh. "It's almost like she doesn't trust that I can walk let alone play tennis anymore and she was the one that insisted they all help with my rehab." Hikari remarked.

Suou pat her head. "They are simply worried for your well being, Miss Hikari, as any friend would be. Don't be upset for her checking in." he told her. Hikari nodded. "Master Sosuke also called and he said he'll be flying in at the end of the week." Suou told her.

Hikari gave another nod. "He's not bringing Hisoka-nii with him is he?" Hikari asked, her bottom lip out in a pout. Suou put down the plate he was washing and turned to her. "And why do you not want Master Hisoka to come?" he asked.

Hikari twisted the drying rag in her hands. "Hisoka-nii still fusses. When he's around he insist I can't do anything for myself and he always worries. It's been a year now." Hikari replied.

Suou heaved a sigh before kneeling down so he was the same height as the girl. "Miss Hikari, you've been out of rehab for only four short months. You don't have all of your strength back just yet. It's natural for your brothers to worry. And yes they are all worried." he told her.

Hikari stared down at her towel. "They worry for your health and safety. Master Hisoka just shows it more then the others. Master Haruhi didn't want to leave until Master Sosuke showed up, because he was worried." Suou told her.

"But I'm better now." Hikari insisted. Suou gave her a smile and pat her head. "Humor them, Miss Hikari. They want to act like your big brothers now and then. It's how they show their love for you." he told her as he stood back up.

Hikari looked up at him. "You avoided my question, Suou." she pointed out with a pout. Suou chuckled. "That is because I am sure you will not like the answer." he replied. Hikari heaved a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if I really am the sassy one around here." she remarked making the old man laugh.

What? She had been serious.

END

Kyandi: You were so pouty as a child.

Hikari: That was only two years ago.

Kyandi: I know. But like you said….you're an old soul. You age years by the day.

Hikari: Oh ha-ha. You're so funny.

Kyandi: I know I am, thanks!

Hikari: I didn't really mean it.

Kyandi: Well everyone enjoy and review!

Hikari: We'll be back soon.

Kyandi: Bye, bye!


End file.
